He's a FReeper.
Posted on 10/17/2009 6:41:45 AM PDT by Saije
After a rocket-propelled grenade hit him in the head, Gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch thought he had his hardest struggle in surgery.
But it was the desk job that almost killed his soul.
"I was in a job I didn't want, didn't know anything about and I sucked at it," the former Marine Tank Commander said.
A San Diego resident and Silver Star recipient, Popaditch told the...Rotary club Thursday night about his experience at the invasion of Baghdad in 2003, his survival of the attack on his tank in 2004 and his recovery.
A coauthor of the book "Once a Marine," Popaditch enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1986.
****
On April 7, 2004, 11 hours before his 13th wedding anniversary with his wife April, Popaditch was riding in his tank "Bonecrusher" with three fellow Marines into the Jolan district of Fallujah.
An Iraqi, who Popaditch describes in his book as "the last human being I see with perfect clarity," fired an RPG at his tank.
The next thing he remembers was a loud sound of static in his ears and a searing white light like a camera flash — only coming from everywhere.
****
Popaditch was sent to recover in Landstuhl, Germany, to Bethesda Maryland, and then eventually San Diego. After a couple surgeries, Popaditch got 8 percent sight in his right eye.
While spending time recuperating, Popaditch reported for duty, where he got a job doing clerical work with the battalion operations section, which helps organize and coordinate marine missions.
He said that, not the injury, was the hardest point of his life... ****
Now Popaditch is running for California's 51st District's congressional seat next year and if that falls through he's studying at San Diego State University so he can teach history to high school students.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
So maybe it's time for him to go?
So maybe it’s time for him to go?
Unfortunately, for some people, that just established his “cred”. I’d rather have a Marine than a liberal any day.
Colonel, USAFR
Sgt. Nick is the famous “cigar smoking guy” who has been posted about here often.
“...he is probably best known from an Associated Press photo of him smoking a victory cigar on top of a tank after American forces rolled into Iraq’s capital in 2003.”
Time to go for sure. Doesn’t seem like it should even take a Marine to whip this turkey. A Marine should be able to handle that task with ease.
He's a FReeper.
Go get some cegarman, who by the way is a fellow FReeper!
Really?? What's his screen name? I'd really like to check out his posts and his profile (if he's posted one).
Cee-gar Man US Marine
Go figger! ;)
That's his wife's screen name.Perhaps he's unable to maintain one himself....which would certainly be understandable.Or maybe he just doesn't have the time...which also would be understandable.
Great interview with the Gunny narrating part of his story here:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/multimedia/atwar/index.html
From Hammond Indiana
As a fellow Hoosier, I am helping him out
And a Cigar smoker. A man like this must be elected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
